The Waziri were frankly terrified, for the sea was not their element.
The mountain girl and her brother seemed awed, but if they felt fear
they gave no outward indication of it. Tarzan and Jason were convinced
that the boat could not live and the latter made his way to where Jana
sat huddled upon a thwart. The howling of the wind made speech almost
impossible, but he bent low placing his lips close to her ear.
"Jana," he said, "it is impossible for this small boat to ride out such
a storm. We are going to die, but before we die, whether you hate me or
not, I am going to tell you that I love you," and then before she could
reply, before she could humiliate him further, he turned away and moved
forward to where he had been before.
He knew that he had done wrong; he knew that he had no right to tell
Thoar's sweetheart that he loved her; it had been an act of disloyalty
and yet a force greater than loyalty, greater than pride, had compelled
him to speak those words--he could not die with them unspoken. Perhaps
it had been a little easier because he could not help but have noticed
the seemingly platonic relationship which existed between Thoar and
Jana and being unable to picture Jana as platonic in love, he had
assumed that Thoar did not appreciate her. He was always kind to her
and always pleasant, but he had never been quite as thoughtful of her
as Jason thought that he should have been. He felt that perhaps it
was one of the strange inflections of Pellucidarian character, but it
was difficult to know either Jana or Thoar and also to believe that,
for they were evidently quite as normal human beings as was he, and
though they had much of the natural primitive reserve and dignity that
civilized man now merely affects; yet it seemed unlikely that either
one of them could have been for so long a time in close association
without inadvertently, at least, having given some indication of their
love. "Why," mused Jason, "they might be brother and sister from the
way they act."
By some miracle of fate the boat lived through the storm, but when the
wind diminished and the seas went down there were only tumbling waters
to be seen on every hand; nor any sign of land.
"Now that we have lost the coast, Lajo, how are we going to set our
course for Korsar?" asked Tarzan.
"It will not be easy," replied Lajo. "The only guide that we have
is the wind. We are well out on the Korsar Az and I know from which
direction the wind usually blows. By keeping always on the same tack we
shall eventually reach land and probably not far from Korsar."
"What is that?" asked Jana, pointing, and all eyes turned in the
direction that she indicated.
"It is a sail," said Lajo presently. "We are saved."
"But suppose the ship is manned by unfriendly people?" asked Jason.
"It is not," said Lajo. "It is manned by Korsars, for no other ships
sail the Korsar Az."
"There is another," exclaimed Jana. "There are many of them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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